Trails and Conservation Plan to begin detailed study of Salida, BV areas
Plan to also implement solutions for top issues countywide
Sept. 18, 2024 — Popular trail systems around Buena Vista and Salida will get a closer look over the next year under the Chaffee County Trails System and Conservation Plan (TSCP).
After hearing from hundreds of trail users during a public input period that ended earlier this summer, TSCP coalition leaders decided to focus the current phase of planning on these two high-use areas.
“Users have the most concerns and want to see changes on the busiest trails around the towns, which makes sense due to high use among residents and increased visitation,” said Buena Vista Singletrack Coalition Executive Director Jason Maher.
A trails specialist will conduct separate, in-depth studies of the extended systems around each municipality to develop recommendations for on-the-ground improvements. Studies will address user concerns as well as natural resource damage and maintenance needs associated with high and increasing trail use.
The Buena Vista study area includes the Midland Trails System from Trout Creek Pass into town, then north into sections of North Fourmile. It encompasses County Road 375 and surrounding OHV trails, as well as the Vitamin B singletrack.
“We heard about more and more interactions between motorized and non-motorized use in this area. We want to come up with solutions so all users can play nice and share the space,” Maher said. “We’re looking forward to the consultant’s recommendations to try and find balance, creating something that will provide safety and good experiences for all groups while not disturbing wildlife habitat.”
The Salida study area encompasses the Arkansas Hills and Methodist Mountain trail systems around downtown. The area includes the Rainbow Trail and will consider connectivity to Poncha Springs.
User conflicts and trail system capacity will be a focus of the Salida-area study, said Salida Mountain Trails Executive Director Jon Terbush.
“There are more people recreating in the same places,” said Terbush, noting that the F Street trailhead is on-pace for a 23-percent increase in use this year over last. “So it follows that capacity and user conflicts came out in the survey.”
Examples in the Salida system are uphill versus downhill traffic and conflicts between hikers and bikers, Terbush said. “This decision to pursue further study allows us to explore potential solutions.”
Both Maher and Terbush are members of the TSCP leadership coalition. The other members of the five-partner coalition are Cindy Williams with Envision Chaffee County, Jennifer Fenwick with the National Forest Foundation, and Chuck Cichowitz representing outfitters and guides.
The goal of the TSCP is to create a community-driven, strategic plan to sustainably manage and maintain trails that improve user experience quality and protect natural resource health.
The public input opportunity took place this spring, involving an in-person meeting and a three-week online survey. About 600 people provided more than 3,400 write-in comments to help set the plan’s priorities and provide information about the trails system.
In addition to choosing the two study areas, the coalition agreed to address a list of Top 12 “critical needs” on trails in other areas of the county. These items are intended to be immediately actionable and do not require a detailed study or lengthy approvals by public land managers.
The list of critical needs involves increasing trail maintenance, reducing natural resource damage, adding restrooms, enforcing seasonal wildlife closures, reducing user conflicts, improving trail accessibility, and addressing a proliferation of social trails in sensitive environments.
Maher said that the coalition will use the list to create near-term projects that can be executed quickly and work as a blueprint for future issues that go beyond the Top 12. To learn more about the plan and to sign up to stay informed about the process, visit https://envisionchaffeecounty.org/trails-system-conservation-plan/.
